Advantages and disadvantages of educational system in Uzbekistan. Deputies studied the disadvantages and advantages of distance education Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily com)

Educational Developments in Uzbekistan
Fact Sheet
Uzbekistan is one the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union, it flourished as the medieval center and intellectual center of the Muslim world due in part to scholars, philosophers and cultural leaders such as Al- Farabi, Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna), Ulugh Beg, Nawaiy, Babur Shah and Tamerlane. Their contributions to world culture in the humanities and sciences were numerous and included such works as Avicenna's Canon of Medic ine, Al-Ferghani's (also known as Alfraganus) Fundamentals of Astronomy, Babur's Baburnama, and Nawaiy's Divans. Uzbekistan maintained trade, intellectual and religious contacts with South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The oasis towns of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and Tashkent mark the famous "Silk Road" over which caravans took the products of Europe to exchange for those of Asia. From the tenth century onwards, Central Asian scholars an d scientists held sway in the courts of Spain. But after the Communist Revolution in 1917 contacts with the outside world had ceased to exist. Uzbekistan declared independence on September 1, 1991. More than 50% of Uzbekistan's population of over 24 million are under the age of 18. Many speak two languages (Uzbek and Russian); most speak three or more languages. The s tudy of English language has become very popular ever since independence. Many students speak it well, others, including adults, are vigorously learning it. The switch from a planned to market economy after independence has triggered wide-spread interest in the fields of economics, business, management, international relations, medicine, law, agriculture, education, engineering, the physical sciences, language and literature. Uzbekistan is one of the largest cotton producing countries of the world and has large deposits of gold and other precious metals and resources. Uzbekistan is situated in the heart of Central Asia with Kazakstan on the North; Turkmenistan and Afghanistan on the South; Kyrgyzstan on the Southeast.